Fagan Harris, chief of staff to Gov. Wes Moore, will be leaving the governor’s office to lead the Abell Foundation as its next president and CEO.
“Abell is a powerful catalyst for social impact in our city, and I am humbled to join this historic Baltimore institution,” Harris said. “As this new chapter begins, I am committed to ensuring that the foundation’s work will remain deeply rooted in its core mission of improving the lives of the people of Baltimore.”
Christy Wyskiel, chair of Abell’s Board of Trustees, commended Harris for his work for the people of Baltimore.
“Fagan shares the Abell Foundation’s steadfast commitment to the people of Baltimore, and he will honor our organization’s legacy while leading the next chapter of our work,” Wyskiel said in a statement. “Abell has spent decades investing in Baltimore – its people, its neighborhoods and its future, and Fagan shares our unwavering belief in the potential of Baltimore.”
Harris will begin in his new role Jan. 5, 2026, succeeding Robert C. Embry Jr., who has served as Abell’s first president for four decades.
“I have admired Fagan since the early days of Baltimore Corps,” Embry said in a statement. “He is a visionary leader who knows this city and has dedicated his career to pursuing innovative ideas for improving the lives of all Baltimoreans. The foundation will be in great hands.”
Founded in 1953 — at the time as the A. S. Abell Company Foundation — the Abell Foundation works to bolster health, economic, and educational improvements in Baltimore by providing grants, supporting research, and investing in businesses.
Harris led Moore’s gubernatorial transition and has served as the governor’s chief of staff since Moore’s inauguration in 2023, during which time he has managed the Governor’s Offices and daily operations of Maryland government.
He led the state through negotiations to keep the Orioles baseball team in Baltimore and managed Maryland’s response to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
“Fagan Harris has been one of the most consequential Chiefs of Staff in Maryland history. He is one of America’s best social entrepreneurs and has brought energy and vision to the role that has made our state immeasurably better,” Moore said in a statement. “The successes Maryland has seen for the past two and a half years, from record drops in unemployment, to historic drops in violent crime, to nation leading initiatives like the service year option and the ENOUGH Initiative, have been guided by Fagan’s steady hand. While he will be deeply missed personally and professionally, I look forward to working closely with him as he leads the Abell Foundation for years to come.”
Before joining the Moore administration, Harris co-founded and led Baltimore Corps, which connects Baltimore residents with career opportunities and supports local entrepreneurship.
Harris led Baltimore Corps during the organization’s $12 million effort to enlist over 300 Baltimore residents as full-time public health professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to founding Baltimore Corps, Harris worked as the National Director at the Emerson Collective. At Emerson Collective, he served as a top aide to founder Laurene Powell Jobs and helped steer the organization’s immigration reform campaign.
H.O.P.E. Baltimore founder Antoin Quarles spoke to the support he and his organization have received from both Abell and Harris.
“Abell has been a great supporter of grassroots organizations in Baltimore for many years, empowering communities by investing in organizations like ours that value lived experience,” Quarles said in a statement. “With Abell’s support, we have been able to help more than 100 citizens returning to Baltimore from incarceration. Fagan has been a mentor to me from his time with Baltimore Corps, and under his leadership I know Abell will continue to grow and change alongside the Baltimore communities it serves.”
A native Marylander, Harris graduated from Maryland public schools, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University, and earned a master’s degree in social sciences from the University of Oxford. He and his family live in Baltimore.
